Sao
Mathais had it first. Its traditional rival, the Piedade ward (called Piedade village) will have it today. The twain never meet, but
guess what, Diwarkars have it twice as good. They get a double whammy of
traditional excitement, great music and dancing and a joie de vivre (joy of
living) which is unmatched/ Bonderam 2.0 this year will be held today.
Shortly after sunrise the ferry service
between the old Goa and Diwar will be busiest with visitors, as well as
non-resident Diwarkars, going home for the festival
On the eve of Bonderam, the locals looked
extremely excited; every house was joyfully chaotic, with people cooking
together, figuring out their costumes for the competitions and touching up
their floats… the air is filled with that sweet aroma of simple, age-old
traditions. The young take new steps into the glitter and colours of the
festival today, while the elders go back in time, remembering the history of
the festival.
This year, the entire parish of Piedade
started the day on an enthusiastic note and like always, you can hear the
sounds of the brass bands going around the village. It’s a sheer sight on how
everyone is so into the celebrations, feeling every moment of the festival.
Locals are distributing Patoleos and children are practicing their dance steps,
dressed up as cute fisherwomen and farmers.
The flag march will begin at 3 pm, followed
by the fancy dress competition. Then, like every year, the floats made by the
people of Divar will entertain the residents along the way. The day will also
celebrate the senior achievers of the society and the students who have done
well in the previous year. The parishioners will then participate in the live
entertainment of bands and dance performances. This year, the contestants of
Goencho Avaz 2019 have been given an opportunity to sing at the festival.
Clarence Fernandes the Cultural Secretary of
the organising committee at Peidade expresses his views about the festival. “It
is overwhelming to see all the people working together during this festival.
The festival is close to my heart. It’s in one’s blood,” he says.
He explains that they have kept a live video
shoot of the festival to spread the news across the globe and carry the
tradition of the festival forward. “This is one festival of Goa that is so
unique compared to any other in the world,” he states.
The festival Bonderam was born out of an
entirely different history. Usually, festivals have a victorious or religious
significance, but the festival of flags was initiated through the antiquity of
frequent disputes between two wards – Piedade and Sao Mathias. The disputes
were over common property issues, which of course have been heard through
stories told by elders.
While the disputes were on, the Portuguese
introduced a system of demarcation of boundaries with flags of various nations.
But the story has a twist. The rival groups would knock down the flags with
stones to show their protest. Bonderam thus became a festival in memory of
these protests. However, today the festival is seen as fun, entertaining and
unifying rather than a symbol of rivalry. The only rivalry you’ll still find is
in the form of competitions.
The ‘fotash’, a toy weapon made of the bamboo
stem with seeds or berries was used to knock out the other flags in the earlier
editions of the festival, however due to injuries it caused, that practice has
been stopped. Let’s be honest, today we see Divar more as a united island than
the olden days of enmity, and surely the two places at Divar also feel the same
way.
Likewise, Freddy Serrao, a resident of
Piedade and a participant who has won several times for his interesting designs
of the float, shares his joy about the festival, saying how every year, the
floats are made on specific topics about Divar. This year, the theme is ‘Save Goan
Wealth’, where the float made by Freddy will describe manmade disasters causing
floods, cutting of trees, garbage problems, and other aspects affecting the
Island. “The main aim is to create awareness on how to save our place. The
youth are also migrating abroad now; they are the pillars of the society, with
them gone the festival wouldn’t be very joyful and who will take care of our
Goa?” shares Freddy.
Apart from the usual celebration, the
festival is also an opportunity for children and youth to showcase their
talents. A young 11-year-old girl Enora, originally from Divar, but living
abroad, especially visits her home every year during Bonderam. “It is because I
like to practice and participate in the parades and floats,” she says
enthusiastically. She had first participated in the parade at age seven. “I
wish the festival was every day, to see how my Divar celebrates unitedly with
joy and the little pleasures of dressing up in various fancy outfits. This
year, I am a fisherwoman, and like always, I will have the best time ever,” she
says.
If you haven’t witnessed the jubilation yet, hop on the
ferry, cross the river, and step onto the island of Divar.
